Manhattan Beach's Scout House was drawing complaints even before the walls and ceiling started sagging, and a broken water line caused a flood during a meeting.

Aside from those problems, the 3,000-square-foot building is simply not large enough to accommodate all of the Scouting groups in town. Only 20 of the city's 70 Girl Scout troops can use the house on a regular basis due to space and functionality.

But if all goes well, the 60-year-old facility will finally get its replacement - a 6,000-square-foot, two-story structure built in the next two to five years in the same location in Live Oak Park.

The Manhattan Beach City Council gave staff members direction Tuesday night to draft an agreement with the Boy and Girl Scouts of America and the Manhattan Beach Property Owners Association, allowing the groups to start a fundraising campaign for a new facility.

Two years ago, the property owners association told the Scouts it would donate $500,000 toward a new building if 1,000 square feet would be dedicated solely to older adults, who would also be able to use the facility during the day when Scouts are in school. The 1,500 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in the city would have priority access the rest of the time.

The property owners' donation still leaves a broad gap to close, with total costs estimated at $2.1 million to $6 million.

Those behind the project said they've struggled to solicit donations because they have not had the council's approval to go ahead with more detailed planning and preliminary designs.

"Once the (agreement) is approved, the fundraising will start," said Tim Lilligren of the residents association, who also serves as the city treasurer. "We can't go out for fundraising until we have something to sell to the public. We're hung up right now. We don't have anything concrete to offer anybody."

The staff noted that the new plan for a two-story Scout House in the same location deviates from the city's Facilities Strategic Plan, developed in 2006 and approved by council in 2008. It envisions a 22,000-square-foot state-of-the-art combined Joslyn Community Center/Scout House/post office/Chamber of Commerce facility. This multipurpose facility would allow for the consolidation of buildings under one roof and more open space in the area off Valley Drive near Live Oak Park.

At the time the FSP was discussed, the city contemplated moving the Scout House to Polliwog Park.

Bret Bernard, a Scouting parent and expert in land planning, said the new Scout House does meet the intent of the FSP and could easily be connected to the Joslyn Center in the future. He said the two-story building would not affect open space or the neighborhood.

"We will be sensitive to nearby neighbors in terms of height, noise, etc.," he said.

It would be foolish to allow the donation opportunity to slip by, Bernard said, when it's not certain if the FSP plans will ever be completed.

Longtime Cubmaster Gary McAulay said the time is now for the project to move forward.

"The building is about to fall down," he said. "The need for this meeting space is great."

City staff members will return to the council at a future meeting with more details and preliminary design plans.